In Minnesota, every season brings exterior maintenance needs. In spring, lawns require specialized care, and in winter, we have snow to remove. If you don’t already love mowing or snow removal, consider upgrading your equipment to electric alternatives for fewer emissions, easier maintenance, and quieter afternoons. Electrify Everything Minnesota focuses on systems inside the home and does not provide support on home lawn care or snow removal. That said, here are some considerations for choosing electric equipment, as these changes in the lawn care and snow removal industries have grown in popularity.
Electric exterior maintenance for reliable landscaping
Electric lawn mowers are decades old, but the modern versions became popular in the 2010s, and for good reason. Electric lawn mowers can lower your carbon footprint and improve air quality around you while being easier to operate, easier to maintain, and quieter than gas alternatives.
Following innovations for lawnmowers came a suite of electric landscaping equipment. Today, buyers can choose electric lawn mowers, leaf blowers, string trimmers, chainsaws, shovels, snow blowers, and more. Most, if not all, yard equipment can be electrified.
By using electricity, electric lawn equipment can significantly reduce the carbon emissions of a home or individual. This is especially impactful as Minnesota electric utilities work toward providing 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, which will make operating electric technologies even more climate friendly.
Benefits of going green
Beyond the carbon impact, electric equipment will help reduce the air pollutants in your area. Gas-powered lawn or snow removal equipment produces pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have a role in creating smog that can impact your health. When you stop using gas equipment, you eliminate a source of particulates in the air, improving your surrounding air quality.
Without a combustion engine, an electric lawn mower, snow blower, or other piece of landscaping equipment is far easier for most people to start and maintain. The engine is also part of what makes gas equipment loud, so electric options are significantly quieter than their gas counterparts.
Electric vs. gas landscaping: Costs, battery life, and tradeoffs
Electric landscaping equipment offers a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional gas equipment. However, it may not work for everyone. One of the biggest challenges in electrifying your lawn or snow removal equipment is that batteries are limited in their capacity and can be expensive. Depending on the size of your lawn, driveway, or sidewalks, you may need to pause your work to charge the battery or you may want to purchase additional batteries to get the job done in one session.
Electric equipment usually has a more expensive price tag than gas options, though electric equipment typically has lower maintenance and operation costs, allowing you to recover the difference, allowing you to save money in the long term.
Another benefit to electric lawn and landscaping equipment is that the items are typically lighter and easier to store. This is especially helpful for people who are wary of heavy equipment or who want to maximize their storage space.
As technology continues to advance, we expect that electric landscaping will become less expensive and more efficient, and batteries will become more powerful and less expensive.
Other ways to improve your landscaping efficiency
Looking to be more efficient without purchasing all new equipment? You can make changes to your routine to keep your yard green in more ways than one. The “Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment” guide from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shares tips about soil health, grass types, mowing, watering, and more.
Go beyond landscaping: Electrification in Minnesota
Efficient electric lawn care is a reliable and efficient way to reduce your home’s carbon footprint while improving your quality of life. If you’re interested in using more electricity inside your home in addition to adopting these outdoor solutions, we can help.
Electrify Everything Minnesota is a partnership between Minnesota governments and energy efficiency nonprofit Center for Energy and Environment (CEE). Together, we’re working to help Minnesotans electrify their homes, one step at a time. We focus on heating and cooling, water heating, cooking, clothes drying, and other home projects that help electric technologies work effectively. For more information on our work and to get started, browse our resources.